Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Cognitive Development During Adulthood

Cognitive Development During Adulthood

Cognitive development continues throughout adulthood, undergoing significant shifts across early, middle, and late stages. Individual transition occurs from adolescent idealism to pragmatic and adaptable thinking in early adulthood. During this period, individuals learn to integrate personal beliefs with the recognition that other perspectives are equally valid. Exposure to the complexities of modern society, diverse experiences, and higher education contribute to this adaptive thought process,...

Alzheimer Disease l: Introduction

Alzheimer Disease l: Introduction

Alzheimer disease is a chronic, progressive, and irreversible neurodegenerative disorder and the most common cause of dementia in older adults. It leads to gradual neuronal loss, causing cognitive decline, behavioral changes, and loss of functional independence.Risk Factors and EtiologyThe disease is multifactorial. Age is the strongest risk factor, with prevalence doubling every 5 years after age 65. Genetic factors include mutations in genes such as APP, PSEN1, and PSEN2, which are associated...

Dementia l: Introduction

Dementia l: Introduction

Dementia is an acquired, progressive syndrome characterized by a decline in multiple cognitive domains severe enough to impair daily functioning and reduce independence. Although memory loss is a central feature, the diagnosis requires additional deficits involving language, executive function, visuospatial skills, judgment, calculation, or abstract reasoning. These cognitive impairments reflect underlying neurodegenerative or vascular processes that gradually disrupt neuronal networks...

Aging

Aging

Aging is a complex biological phenomenon influenced by various processes that affect cellular and systemic functions. Several prominent theories attempt to explain its mechanisms, highlighting cellular limitations, oxidative damage, and hormonal changes as central factors in aging.
Cellular Clock Theory
The cellular clock theory posits that the human lifespan is closely tied to the finite capacity of cells to divide, a phenomenon governed by telomeres, which are protective caps at the ends of...

Revisionist Views of Adolescent and Adult Cognition

Revisionist Views of Adolescent and Adult Cognition

A revisionist approach to Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development has brought new insights that challenge and reinterpret his established ideas. Piaget proposed that the formal operational stage, emerging in adolescence, represents the culmination of cognitive maturity. During this stage, individuals are said to develop abstract thinking, engage in systematic problem-solving, and show a form of egocentrism, believing others are as preoccupied with their behavior as they are themselves.

Alzheimer Disease ll: Pathophysiology

Alzheimer Disease ll: Pathophysiology

Alzheimer disease involves structural changes in the brain that begin long before symptoms appear. The most distinctive features are extracellular neuritic plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles.Neuritic plaques form in the cerebral cortex and around blood vessels. These plaques contain a dense core of beta-amyloid (Aβ)—a toxic protein fragment that clumps outside neurons. The core is surrounded by damaged neuronal extensions, as well as reactive astrocytes and microglia. Abnormal...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Education, Health, and the Default American Lifestyle.

Journal of health and social behavior·2015

Same author

Depression and the sense of control: aging vectors, trajectories, and trends.

Journal of health and social behavior·2013

Same author

GENDER AND THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF EDUCATION.

The Sociological quarterly·2013

Same author

Wage Slavery or Creative Work?

Society and mental health·2013

Same author

Theory and modeling in the study of intimate relationships and health.

Journal of health and social behavior·2013

Same author

Parenthood and trajectories of change in body weight over the life course.

Social science & medicine (1982)·2011

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 31, 2026

Assessment of Age-related Changes in Cognitive Functions Using EmoCogMeter, a Novel Tablet-computer Based Approach

Assessment of Age-related Changes in Cognitive Functions Using EmoCogMeter, a Novel Tablet-computer Based Approach

Published on: February 14, 2014

Cognitive decline and the default American lifestyle.

John Mirowsky¹

¹Department of Sociology, Population Research Center, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712-0118, USA. mirowsky@prc.utexas.edu

The Journals of Gerontology. Series B, Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences

|July 12, 2011

Summary

Cognitive function in seniors is not improving as expected, possibly due to declining physical activity, rising obesity, and increased medication use. These lifestyle and health trends may be accelerating cognitive decline across cohorts.

More Related Videos

A Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate Interference in Working Memory by Distractions and Interruptions

A Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate Interference in Working Memory by Distractions and Interruptions

Published on: July 16, 2015

Highlighting and Reducing the Impact of Negative Aging Stereotypes During Older Adults' Cognitive Testing

Highlighting and Reducing the Impact of Negative Aging Stereotypes During Older Adults' Cognitive Testing

Published on: January 24, 2020

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 31, 2026

Assessment of Age-related Changes in Cognitive Functions Using EmoCogMeter, a Novel Tablet-computer Based Approach

Assessment of Age-related Changes in Cognitive Functions Using EmoCogMeter, a Novel Tablet-computer Based Approach

Published on: February 14, 2014

A Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate Interference in Working Memory by Distractions and Interruptions

A Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate Interference in Working Memory by Distractions and Interruptions

Published on: July 16, 2015

Highlighting and Reducing the Impact of Negative Aging Stereotypes During Older Adults' Cognitive Testing

Highlighting and Reducing the Impact of Negative Aging Stereotypes During Older Adults' Cognitive Testing

Published on: January 24, 2020

Area of Science:

Gerontology
Cognitive Science
Public Health

Background:

Societal advancements like increased education and cognitive demands suggest rising cognitive function in older adults.
However, recent data indicates a plateau or even decline in cognitive abilities across recent cohorts.

Purpose of the Study:

To explore potential explanations for the anomaly of stagnant or declining cognitive function in aging populations.
To investigate the impact of long-term societal trends on cognitive health in seniors.

Main Methods:

Review of major long-term societal trends potentially increasing cognitive impairment.
Analysis of the implications of these trends on cognitive function in aging populations.

Main Results:

Declining physical activity levels.
Increased consumption of processed foods and rising rates of obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome.
Growing use of prescription medications and an increasing proportion of elderly and obese individuals.

Conclusions:

Modern lifestyles, characterized by sedentary behavior and reliance on processed foods, undermine the metabolic and aerobic fitness essential for optimal brain function.
The increasing prevalence of chronic conditions and polypharmacy negatively impacts cognitive health.
Societal shifts towards medical intervention over health maintenance, coupled with an aging and increasingly obese population, may accelerate cognitive decline.